73 questions – that’s the average number of questions kids ask in a day, according to a study. Luckily, parents have answers to the majority of the questions, but there are some of the questions that are very challenging to answer. In this post, we will list out 8 questions that are very difficult for parents to answer, and we will also suggest the best ways to answer them.
Be patient with your kids’ questions
Some parents get annoyed because their kids ask too many questions. This is understandable because most parents go to work and come home tired. You don’t have much energy to answer rapid-fire questions being asked by your kids, but at the same time, you should find a way to satisfy your children’s curiosity.
Note that your kids asking many questions is a sign that their brain is developing, and it is also a sign that they are developing analytical skills. Therefore, you should be patient with them in their quest to comprehend the world around them.
The following are some of the tough questions kids ask and how to answer them.
Tough Questions Kids Ask & How to Answer Them
#1. Why are there so many languages in the world?
As kids grow up, they start picking up the languages spoken at home and the one used in teaching them in school. However, when they come across foreign languages, they may be surprised that they don’t understand the language and ask you why there are so many languages in the world.
The best way to answer this question is to tell your kids that thousands of years ago, people in different communities all over the world invented their own words to describe things happening around them. People in the same area speak the same language, but it can be difficult for people outside the area to understand their language.
Also, tell your children that there are hundreds of contemporary ethnic groups in the world, and each of them normally has a local language or dialect. And that’s the reason for many languages in the world. You can conclude your answer by encouraging your kids to learn a second or third language.
#2. Why do we have to always cover our private parts?
Many parents don’t want to talk about sex education with their children; so, without a doubt, this is one of the toughest questions kids ask, and it can throw a parent off balance. Nevertheless, there is a quick answer to this question. Simply say, “Because private things must not be exposed to the public.”
Then go ahead and say private parts are used in private places like the bathroom, so they should be covered outside. Private parts should also be covered with a swimsuit at the pool and the door must be closed when using the potty.
Use the opportunity provided by this question to teach your children about their body, and tell them to never show their private parts to anyone except mummy and daddy. In addition to that, ask our kids to report to you if someone tries to touch them strangely.
#3. How are babies made?
Like the above question, this is also about sex education, and as a result of that, many parents dread to answer it. The problem with this question is that parents look at answering it from an adult’s perspective, which involves talking directly about sex.
However, kids aren’t interested in knowing about an adult’s sexual life; they are just curious to know their origin. They only want to know how they got into this world, and the best way to answer the question is to explain using basic biology. You should also consider your kids’ developmental level when answering this question.
Generally, you can answer the question by saying that a baby is formed through the donation of cells by both the father and mother. A cell is a raw material used in making living things like plants and animals – including human beings. The father donates a cell called the sperm cell and the mother donates a cell called the egg cell. These two cells join together and develop into a baby in nine months.
For most kids, this explanation should be satisfactory.
#4. Why is that person homeless?
When a child asks this question, it shows that he or she is very observant of the environment. As a parent, the best thing you can do when your children ask this question to use the answer to teach them empathy.
Tell your kids that the person may be homeless because he is very poor and couldn’t afford to rent a house. You can expatiate on your answer by saying, in many cases, homeless people also struggle to get food. Notwithstanding, we should respect them and offer help through donations. By doing this, you are not only teaching your children empathy but also teaching them respect.
#5. Why do adults sometimes cry when they are too happy?
We, adults, sometimes find ourselves crying when we are happy; this is called tears of joy, and it usually happens when we have a bittersweet experience. This kind of experience is strange for kids whose emotion is one-way; they are either happy and might start jumping around everywhere or sad and sit in one spot.
As one of the tough questions kids ask, the question “Why do adults sometimes cry when they are too happy” can be answered by telling your kids that adults’ emotions are very complicated. Explain that, for adults, it is possible to be happy and sad at the same time based on events happening in their life.
#6. Why can’t I sleep late as you do?
Many parents know the advantages of making children go to bed early. So, they don’t want their children to stay up late at night. However, kids don’t like being sent to bed early, especially when they are seeing a favourite TV show at night. They tend to ask for the reason why they can’t stay up late as you do.
To convince your kids of the importance of going to bed early, tell them that their body and brain need rest after they have been involved in intensive activities like doing school work and playing around during the day. Make them know that those intensive activities use up a lot of the body and brain energy, and for them to regain back the lost energy, they need to sleep and rest very well at night.
#7. Why do our neighbour’s kids have more toys than us?
Kids love toys. Consequently, if you don’t answer this question to satisfaction, your kids could assume that you don’t love them.
The best way to answer this question is to tell your kids that it is a normal feeling to want more possession of things, especially when someone sees other people having them in large quantities. Tell your kids that, however, having more stuff doesn’t guarantee the family will be happier, and for them not to get jealous, they need to be contented with what they have.
This conversation should be an opportunity to teach your kids about financial literacy. Help your children understand the idea of working for money, the difference between need and want, as well as savings and investments.
#8. Why do people get sick?
Kids are likely to ask this question when they observe that people around them get sick and not able to do what they normally do with them. A quick answer to this question kids ask is to say sickness is caused by germs. Then go ahead and describe what germs are, and how some of them can cause diseases.
Use the conversation to talk about personal hygiene for kids. Also, talk about the fact that some sicknesses are caused by the body organs not working properly. And above all, make it clear to your kids that people recover from most sicknesses when they rest and take their medicine. Telling them this would make them confident that they will still get better whenever they fall sick.
By instinct, you may feel the best way to handle tough questions kids ask is to avoid the questions. This isn’t good enough. Be patient when your kids are asking questions, and see the questions are an opportunity to teach them vital life skills. And with the suggested answers in this post, you should be able to answer some of the tough questions.
